Opposition in Punjab Assembly shouts discrimination over funds

LAHORE

Opposition, in the presence of the chief minister protested strongly over the discriminatory treatment being meted out to it by the PML-N government over the development funds and demanded the chief minister to treat all the members of the House equally.

The hallmark of Punjab Assembly session on Wednesday was the arrival of the chief minister to assembly and his abrupt departure during the speech of the Opposition leader who twice took the floor to record his protest over the discrimination done to the PTI and other members of the House representing the opposition benches. This was the second appearance of the CM Punjab during the ongoing sitting of PA, which has met for the 21st time this month since May 2013. It also completed its 100 days in year 2015-16.

Speaking on the floor of the House, the Opposition leader in PA first rejected all the claims of prosperity and progress by the PML-N government while stating that Pakistan, under the present government was under a huge burden of foreign debt, whose volume was far higher than that of the previous regime of PPP. He stated that the PML-N government was claiming that it had broken the ‘begging bowl’ but in reality, he said it had rather expanded the size of that bowl while receiving loans.

Citing a report, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed said Punjab was standing as the most corrupt province of Pakistan whereas the country was standing at number 144 in global community over the issue of human development. He stated minimum was being spent on the welfare of human beings and 40 percent of the country population was living below the poverty line.

He said the PML-N government was unable to fulfill its claims of resolving the energy crisis whereas country was witnessing a serious shortage of its exports.

He demanded the government to increase the pensions and implement the ruling of Supreme Court in this regard.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif entered the House and was welcomed by his stalwarts in Punjab Assembly.

The Opposition leader, making full use of the CM’s presence in the House took up the issue of discrimination over uplift funds to the opposition MPAs on the part of the Punjab government besides criticising Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz over the issues of governance, poor situation of health and education.

Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed on the occasion stated that not a single penny was being given to MPAs of Opposition but funds up to Rs250 million were being allotted to those who lost the polls against them. He said the state organs were being directed by the government not to entertain any request made by PTI or Opposition members which was highly condemnable.

He stated that elected members of Opposition had also been mandated by the people who also wanted development in their areas and the PML-N government should treat all the MPAs of the House alike. He also urged the Punjab administration to learn from the KP government which was giving full share to the PML-N MPAs in development. The CM Punjab, however, didn’t respond to the complaints of the Opposition leader and most of the time, he remained busy in receiving applications from his party MPAs who kept meeting him one by one in the House.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan while responding to the complaints of Opposition leader stated that the allegations that government had issued any letter over the release of funds of Rs250 million to its MPAs wasn’t true. He said if the Opposition leader possessed any such letter or evidence, he must present it in the House and added that his side must play the role of a constructive opposition rather than creating subversion in the province. He said it was the tradition of the House that during general discussion, quorum was not pointed out unnecessarily but despite that Opposition was doing all it could do to hamper the business of the PA.

He alleged that the Opposition leader was inciting the sentiments of farmers recently against the Punjab government which showed that he wasn’t interested in any creative act but believed in spreading instability.

The Opposition leader once again speaking on the floor of the House demanded the CM that he must be regular in attending the proceedings as it was in the interest of the PA. He said the PA was only able to meet quorum on Wednesday because the CM was present and it was the duty of the government, not Opposition to meet it. He demanded the CM to visit the hospitals like Mayo and Jinnah which were facing shortage of machinery whereas a dental hospital was still dysfunctional in Lahore due to shortage of doctors.

The Opposition leader also got angry when during his speech, Shahbaz Sharif suddenly stood up and left the House. Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed protested over it and said the CM should have listened to the House members but he had left during the speech.  Speaker Rana Mohammad Iqbal Khan adjourned the proceedings till Thursday (today).